For some entrepreneurs, the idea of managing their own offices just doesn’t make sense. Sometimes, they’re consultants sick of working from the dining-room table or buying endless cups of coffee in a cafe. Sometimes they’re bigger startups or satellite offices that just don’t want to deal with buying furniture, setting up fax machines and hiring someone to man the front desk.

So another set of entrepreneurs has sprung up to meet these needs by providing shared office space. A diverse bunch, ranging from multi-state corporations with “plug and play” environments to small companies offering one large workspace, these businesses are growing in both San Francisco and the Peninsula.

Coworkers of the World, Unite! in The American Prospect: The always-on, perpetual freelance culture of Web 2.0 has spawned its own “coworking” spaces, but are these new techno-optimists building sustainable communities?

Co-working can solve non-traditional office issues from the OrlandoSentinel.com: “The majority of the people that use this space are making a living doing what they love,” said Alex Hillman, 24, who helped launch Independents Hall, a co-working space in Philadelphia, earlier this month. “This is a happy medium where you maintain your independence, but you get a little of that office backchannel.”

Resident plans shared space for creative work in The Daily Tar Heel: A solution is on the way for local freelance workers, startup-business owners and even students who need a place to call “office” without shelling out hefty rental fees.